Amazon introduced a new version of its digital assistant early in 2025, arming it with the same kind of conversational capabilities as AI chatbots like Gemini and ChatGPT. Dubbed Alexa+, it also comes with next-gen on-device processing chops and environmental awareness. Compared to the regular Alexa experience, this one feels like a true evolution: The conversations feel natural, real-time world knowledge is at your disposal, and a memory system personalizes activities to your daily routine — all
potentially enough to win even AI skeptics over.
Unfortunately, Alexa+ availability is currently more restricted than standard Alexa, and in more than a few ways. Let's broach the topic of user access first. Alexa+ is still in the early access phase, which means it is not universally available on all platforms and Echo devices. You will have to sign up for early access if you have a compatible device or buy an Echo Show (8-inch, 15-inch, or 21-inch) for quick access.
Amazon told The Verge in June that it had expanded Alexa+ access to over a million users, still only a fraction of the 600 million Alexa-ready devices the company has sold so far. Amazon says that it will prioritize giving early access to owners of the aforementioned Echo devices. But once Alexa+ is enabled on one of your devices, it will be automatically made available on all the devices linked to the same account. You can sign up for early access on Amazon's support page.
Read more: 8 Little-Known Amazon Gadgets Worth Trying For Yourself
Where Can You Experience Alexa+?
Alexa+ will be broadly available across the Alexa mobile app, certain Echo gadgets, Fire TV devices, and Fire tablets. Older models, such as the Echo Dot 1st Gen, Echo 1st Gen, Echo Plus 1st Gen, Amazon Tap, Echo Show 1st Gen, Echo Show 2nd Gen, and Echo Spot 1st Gen, won't get access to Alexa+ but will continue to have access to Alexa. As far as Fire TV models go, the next-gen digital assistant is compatible with Fire TV Cube, Fire TV Stick 4K Max, and Fire TV Stick 4K. For tablets, Amazon will roll Alexa+ out to devices running Fire OS 8 or newer. Notably, the AI-supercharged digital assistant won't make its way to Alexa Built-in devices or Amazon Astro.
Alexa+ is free for everyone during the early access phase. All you need is an Amazon account and a compatible device. Once you apply for early access, Amazon will process your request. Once approved, you'll be notified and can begin the setup process. Early access users can downgrade to the basic Alexa experience any time, and will also be able to return to Alexa+ early access at their convenience. Moreover, Alexa+ can be set up for multiple profiles in a household, as long as the main Amazon account is enrolled in the early access program.
Once Alexa+ is out of early access, it will be available for a $19.99 monthly fee. Customers with an active Amazon Prime subscription will get Alexa+ for free, alongside a healthy selection of other Prime+ membership perks.
Why Is Alexa+ Not Widely Available?
In the simplest terms, Alexa+ can be described as an "AI brain transplant" version of the old Alexa assistant with new voices and the ability to have more natural conversations. You no longer have to repeat the wake word during conversations, thanks to a new feature called Follow Up Mode that enables natural back-and-forth chats.
It can surf the internet on your behalf and complete multi-step tasks, remember your preferences, dig into your calendar and offer a daily overview, and take personalized actions. But at the end of the day, Alexa+ has powerful large language models (LLMs) at its heart, and they are prone to making mistakes compared to a hard-coded and pre-trained assistant like Alexa. That also explains why Amazon will save all user interactions, plausibly for training and improving the assistant.
Early reviews suggest that Alexa+ can occasionally misinterpret location and place names, fail to complete tasks, and struggle with appointment-related tasks. It's a new technology based on generative AI, so those missteps are expected. Amazon knows that all too well and is taking a cautious approach with its rollout, stating that not all features will be available from the start. It has also pointed out that some Alexa+ features shown during the launch event will be released on a rolling basis. Unfortunately, there is no official word on when the early access phase ends and all the features become available to users.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.
